New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-22
THE STEWART COLLECTION

THE STEWART COLLECTION
The public will see the Stewart collection at the
American Art Galleries under the most favorable
ditions The paintings have been well cleaned and
well hung and their lighting is not open TO criticism.
Varous vases, candeabra, and well filed show
the entrance, with statuettes and busts along the
stairway and a variety of sumptuous objects in the
upper room mpart to the galleries something OF the
luxurious appearance whc char acterzed the Morgan
exhibition. Rosa Bonheurs impressive Horse
kSir which hangs on the right OF the entrance and
Auguste Bonheur's Fontainebleau Gene which hangs
upon the lett Will delay the visitor In the first gallery
In the large room he viii lind Messonier's 1907
in the place of honor, and the two tOrtuBys at
end He Will discover many other paintings OF
marked importance tor another and with
he will do well to be coLtented But the visitor
who conscentIousy examines all the III paintings
will be conscious OF a decided feeling OF disappoint-
ment. The hee paintings named, OF which We have
already spoken, are pre-emlnent and any one Nouid
confer distinction upon a collection. There thirty
forty pictures which tor various reasons are en-
titled TO admiration or serious consideration but when
these are taken out only work OF very MINOR impOr
is lett. Amy cultivated amateur would willingly
and promptly part with probably 100 OF the 2i7
paintings Ii the few paintings which have gwen
this gallery It's special reputation are not considered
the average is below that the Morgan collection
but the collection as it stands IS Que OF exceptional
interest. In the department OF ceramics however,
there is no comparison whatever between the two.
The Stewart ceramics consist OF such examples OF
Seyres, MintOn, Royal Worcester and Dresden N any
wealthy purchaser could obtain at high class "
stores Many these pieces notably the Sevres ware
are OF admirable quality. but the European ceramics
alone equal TO those OF the Morgan coliecton
The disparity still more marked in the Oriental de-
partments There are several specimens of Ja anese
porcelain which will not arouse the amateurs envy,
few decorated Chinese vases, remarkable as a rule
tor size rather than quality and group OF ename.s
which contains interesting specimens. There are
no solid colors We believe but even il the ceramics
are not those which would be chosen by q collector,
there is plenty and among the hundreds OF mis-
cellaneous objects To interest and CRAFTY popular
taste.
The selection of the paintings was evidently inhu.
en-, ed by strong personal liking Tor figure paintings,
preferably those brilliant IN colorng or anecJoca IN
character by admiration Of III execution
exempliied in the works OF MISSIONER and Gerome,
10y desire TO obtain paintings OF wide reputation, and
also b, the fashion OF the time shown IN such
array Duss. ldort art has not been recently
in our galleries Nr Stewart pretended TO be
counOisseur," but he bought the pictures which be
liked and he evidently liked pictures which could 10
easily understood He cared little tor magnat art,
and the absence Ct Delacroix, Decamps, Corot, Met
and Rousseau from his gallery is simply proof that
he had the courage OF his convictions, although the
fashion for these painters had only ary begun III this
country twelve years ago: For such frank assertion
OF personal tastes The collector certanl, entitled
to credit and in bringing to this country paint
ings important some in the collection he per-
formed a valuable service As we have sand, hgure
paintings in large majority, but there is one
group OF tour landscapes which Will be a.tentively
considered by some OF ouI collectors. Troyons
Cattle" brilliantly lighted painting OF white and
dun cows under a clear blue sky has the artists usual
breadth of brush work and sodty OF model ing. but t
is especially remarkable as rich and harmonious
piece OF c0loring Van Marcke has tried the same
effect on various occasions and now and then with
much success, but Van Marcke's master remains tho
master still. On the other hand the Landscape aud
Cattle" which seems to more thinly painted, Is
disng uished less by the opulence OF the coloring,
although the picture is in tone throughout than by
its wealth OF incident The cattle, finely as they
painted, really the minor feature and the
TO the cottage and trees beyond and then travels over
tar reaching distance cleverv graduated ana varied
with grazing herds and light and shade. There are
Troyons finer in quality, more substantial and moro
torcibly executed in collections but these two
pictures, representing altogether different purposes
are instructive aud valuable examples. DauDignys
May landscape, picture OF impressive PR portions,
shows tace management OF a scale OF greens. ana
pleas ny self restraint in avoiding the violent pink and
white eiorescenoe usual in the treatment OF the sub
ject and only suggesting the blossoms on the trees.
The simplicity and drectness OF the picture help to
countrrbalance certain want OF character the raw.
ness ot the foreground inexpcabe Ii lifting aud dull
sky jacques Landscape and Sheep" which might
have been called An Approaching Thunderstorm, 10
better class example OF his solid painting oil trees
and landscape and his entirely faithful rendering OF
The works of Meissonier and Gcrome form couven-
lent starting point tor such limited consideration as We
can give the figure paintings. The two cabinet size
cturcs by Meissoner both examples OF the out
door painting into which he first forced by his
critics nearly thirty years ago. One, The Beegar
i OF comparatively few examples of subject aeo
painted in order to contIc criticism But the sharply
defined, painfully hard faoe OF the boggar woman who
stands beside path in public garden, asking aims
OF rider in Directory costume, would hardly be taxed
satisfactory proof that MISSIONER could paint
Those who judge from this picture will think
that the artists dissatisfied sitter )t few years paeA
amply justified But the lighting OF the picture Is
fairly ptiess, and yet the light is sot here compared
with that in the :" At the Barracks" Two mounted
orderles leading horses which are very Clearly ana
firmly modelled IN the intense light are pau-ng IN the
speak with sentinel who seems further away
than need be- The glare OF the sunshine on dusty load
and white buildings. the clean cut SHADOW underneS,h
little balcony and the sharp contrasts are all 'iydy
realistic but such intensity suggests Algeria rather
than northcrn France. Tho artist has tried TO express
conventional effect, out there al.
81 suggestion OF artidciay and We fancy that Meis-
.onier has ALWAYS preferred interiors where conyen
tional lighting permissible The lSOI' brighter
than ever after its cleaning. conveys a sim more
orcibIe impression OF sktu labor. and also OF confus
ing glitter due the brilliancy OF minor passages 10
careful painting OF Details aud To absence OF true
values The picture il in better condition, bat the net
work OF cracks be readily followed and by com,
garrison with the slight cracking OF AZ the Barraohs
il will be that the parting OF varnsl ana paint on
the larger picture has had width ana deptn ano OK
tent which deserved attention. The vanishing OF
year and halt ago elped to disguise the cracs.ng
but it is still easily to traced There are tnree
Geromes, one of which, the Circus Maxihius, Is us
tingushed by Nothing save exact a.eh'eoipsM;i
and an almost utter absence oil petoriai
quality. The goals, dedicated to Castor ana Ionus'
the obeisk in the middle the racing chariots the at
tendants along the walls the imperial pa'iiion WI
mendous stretch OF seats and lofty buildings peyon9
have all been recon -tru"ted with patient study auu
the result crowd OF details each exact bal no oo
and much distressing spotiiness III tue
oring. There are tow exceptions but tor tho moss
part the painting IL = spiritess panorama, onc =.
tierome's unsuccessful efforts. For characteristics
the CHASTITY subjects tor ~hich Gerone has So ire-
auently shown decided preference treated win
cynical satire not ntrequently felt in his paintings
gladiator Ia gilded helmet and half aimor mas s.
down a retiarius whose trident and net have Iailea
him and the deathblow Is suspended to walt the YER
diet Of the crowd The vanqcished appealA 70 snS
Al G...A Al fha